Management of diversity in workplace

Management of diversity in workplace

Introduction

This paper will explore the meaning of diversity, explain how diversity is managed and elucidate some reasons why diversity management is important (Harvey & Allard, 2015). It will also focus on different aspects of diversity in a diverse view of natural and human existence. Diversity is a general term used to describe differences that co-exist together (Harvey & Allard, 2015). For diversity to bring its clear meaning, it must be explained with some conditions such as mutual understanding among involved entities and acceptance present. It may also mean having wide range of people or activities being done by different group of people with varied activities and beliefs according to how things happen and exist in real life (Harvey & Allard, 2015).

The interaction process within human being, diversity will cover every aspect of human endeavor that makes human being come together and share common aspects in life (cover (Harvey & Allard, 2015). This aspect is what makes diversity of interesting in human nature and coexistence with other human or creatures. In specific, human diversity is what the paper will try to cover (Harvey & Allard, 2015).

Types of diversities in the workplace

Diversity is what can help to boost productivity in the workplace. On top of that, the term diversity in the work place does not always mean a progress of any given organization but instead, the specifications of employees in various fields in the workplace. According to Harvey & Allard (2015), there are definite factors that helps to explain the essence of diversity in the workplace. Significantly, management of diversity in the workplace facilitates what it means by ‘what we do’. Management of diversity in the workplace will narrow down to touch how the employees in the workplace are diversified in terms of culture, communication, ethnicity, religion among many others (Harvey & Allard, 2015).

Diversity on income

In this case, income comes by on the side of employees. It is the legal expected amount transferable to all employee, both on the private and public sectors in the workplace. The employees are either their dues though wages or salaries depending on the operational rules of an organization (Harvey & Allard, 2015). It an amount which the employees have to claim in case of uncertainties against their payment. For any individual seeking job opportunity in an organization has right to enquire on the amount of income to receive under the terms of employment. Perhaps, it acts as motivation of any employee in the workplace (Harvey & Allard, 2015). Upon understanding this point, any sector of management is in a position to motivate its employees by either revising their salaries or altering the period of advancing payments to favor employees. By doing this, an organization is definitely in the position to match in the existing stiff completion in the market place. There has been a technological advancement in the work place based on the kind of employees hired or in other words, the type of employment offered. This diversity has facilitated to a great development. They include,

Full-time and part-time employees

Various organizations have designed their payments options to favor their employees with an aim of achieving the best in their operations. Full time employees work on regular bases at an average of 38hours a week with inclusion of the following leaves; annual, parental, cares, sick and long service. A part time employee woks for less than 38hours a week and is paid on the proportionality of the hours worked (Harvey & Allard, 2015).

Casual employees

These are employees engaged on irregular basis and are not promised of ongoing work. Perhaps, they are less subjected to leaves but under rare circumstance, they are eligible for both parental and long term service (Kirton & Greene, 2015).

Contracts employees

They are employees who work on a fixed time schedule or employed to perform a specific task or even to replace an employee for a specified period of time (Kirton & Greene, 2015).

Commission and pies rate employees.

These are employees paid on the basis of the results or theirs efforts in their dealings instead of subjecting them to weekly or hourly payments (Kirton & Greene, 2015). An Australian Context on: Employer- paid parental leave clearly outlines the meaning of ‘What we do’ in the workplace reflects success in the workplace. In this case, we narrow down from work provisions in general to an employer paid parental leave and find out the available evidence under the discussion (Wrench, 2016). This case marks changes from the start of   (2005-2010). Notably, a number of changes have been done to suit the maternity leave of employees. Public servants provisions which may be encoded with legislation, their cases have been altered over time with a notable lengthening in duration. Wrench (2016) suggested that during this inset of period, leave case have been extended from (12-14 weeks) in Queensland and from (14-18 weeks) in Australian Capital Territory. Change has also been marked in increasing proportion of large organizations with a maternity leave which is paid with provisions catered for (Wrench, 2016).

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

It can be described as the form of recognizing the differences in employee in the workplace. These differences can be on the basis of gender, religion, age, sex, ethnicity, social status and orientation (Ozgen et al, 2014). The cultural diversity trends include. A C-transport deals with manufacture of aero planes. Its survival in the high competition the market and continuous can be attributed to workplace diversity.

The growth of minority workforce

A good example of a company that has displayed a cultural minority work force is C-transport. The Human Resource Department is specified in a way to include all the classes of employees. This idea has contributed to the sharing of issues in the in the workplace. Also, consultations in the work place has been enhanced through the creation of minority workforce (Canas & Sondak, 2013). People diversified in terms of skills knowledge and work experience are placed together for them to share ideas. This definitely results to improvement in the work place. Considering cultural diversity in any workplace makes motivates the employees hence more efforts in their dealings informing the organization.

The growth of stereotypes and prejudices

There has always been beliefs that only certain people can work in a particular organization or specific department (Ozgen et al, 2014). There might not be just able reasons for the case but because of the cultural inheritance. For instance, there are companies that feel that employing females in their organizations is a source of failure in the work place. Basically, this argument is by fact that female workers often  need to go for a maternity leave, a separate issue that will consume most of their time which could otherwise been used in regenerating profits (Canas & Sondak, 2014). The organizations end up employees all men employees in order to evacuate the weakness associated with women. These prejudices affect organizational operations adversely.

Addition of sensitivity or diversity training

An organization can be said to be a forum where people from all cultural differences, may it be on race or religion, social class or age, meet. The cultural differences in employees are sometimes a threat in the company or organizations (Ang & Van Dyne, 2015). This is because almost everybody will feel appreciated in the case where his opinions are gone by the management. However, on the best views from employees are considered by the management staff. The rest are foregone.

The sense of being unsatisfied multiplies peer pressure among employees working in the same level in the institution. A lot of unrest is created which affects the operational activities adversely. To curb this, (Trax et al 2015) most companies has devised a sensitivity training body whose sole aim is to bring employees together and teach on them about the use of proper etiquette, essential communications skills, appropriate terminologies to use in the workplace, how to control bullying and finally eradicating issues of sexual harassment with an organization (Ang & Van Dyne, 2015). A good example of a company that has created a special body to deal with issues of diversity in culture is C-transport Company. This company formed a sensitivity training committee to deal with issue of some employees who were rejecting female engineers.

Diversity in sex and nature

The number of females in the workplace has been growing with time. Initially, the females were believed not to perform well but of late they have demystified the Idea (Ang & Van Dyne 2015). Nowadays, big companies are known to perform most of the jobs that require a high technical training. C-Transport Company is known for having a big number of female employees who work as engineers.

Diversity through hiring individuals with disabilities

Sometimes back, people with disabilities faced a lot of challenge in the job market. You could find an individual with quality documents showing academic qualifications yet the person not employed just because he is unable to walk because due to weakness of legs. Almost everything has changed recently (Trax et al, 2015) Individuals with disabilities are highly considered in the job market.

Religion diversity in managing ethics

The application of the religious diversity is part of business ethics can be considered as the moral principles and values which are applied in the field of the business (Wright et al, 2013). The ethics defines the success or the failure of the business. Each of the business organization has some ethics which required for the betterment of its operating system (DesJardins & McCall, 2014). Different businesses have different ethics which are proposed to be followed for its success. Most of the businesses share some ethics which mostly formulate the strategy of the business organization (Wright et al, 2013).  The ethics are made to be applied within the business environment which helps in conduction of the same business. The ethics will vary depending on different fields of business such in human resource management, in sales marketing among others (DesJardins & McCall, 2014). The ethics are mostly practiced by the whole community of such business operating system.  Most of the ethics are personal based which will enable the business operate in good atmosphere without and frictions within the business setting.

Religious diversity in Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing is a very important section of business operation in which high level honest ethics are required (DesJardins & McCall, 2014). The personnel who are assigned the duty to carry out the selling and also marketing of the products in the field are supposed to have high level of trust character trait for the success of the business (DesJardins & McCall, 2014).  The issues of taking advantage of selling position one given in the field in which one sale extra products away from the instructions which are given by the company displays unethical practices in business organization. Once such kind of the dishonest practices happens in the business, the business will totally fail in its operating objective since every business will have its objects based on type of the business being operated (DesJardins & McCall, 2014.

Managing diversity

To manage diversity, there are different aspects that we ought to address in details. These questions will try to explain different aspects in answering such a question (Harvey & Allard, 2015). What practices, policies, ways of thinking and within organizational culture have impact on differential groups? It also seeks to know the organizational changes needed to meet most if not all diverse work force in order to maximize all workers potential. If all these questions are met, then, the San Francisco of 21^st century would be valid (De Anca & Vega, 2016). There is a golden rule in the diverse thinking among all people. It stipulates that, treat others as you may wish you be treated. It has general assumption that, how you expect to be treated is how other people would expect you to treat those (De Anca & Vega, 2016). There is only one problem with this golden rule which gives rise to general question. The question tries to evaluate how respect looks like and seeks to know if respect looks alike to all people.

Though it depends on individual perspective, people may share common values. These values may include but not limited to respect and need for being recognized but how these values are shown to different groups through behavior varies in different groups or persons (De Anca & Vega, 2016). There is another general question that states; how do we know the existence of different groups or individual need? This may led us to abandon the general golden rule and shift to usual platinum rule which states: treat others the way they need to be treated. This makes us move our reference frame fromour default view of things which explains it as the best way to a diverse sensitive perspective which states that, we take the best variety of ways. This will help us manage things more effectively in a diverse environment (De Anca & Vega, 2016).

De Anca & Vega (2016) states everyone has a key role in transforming organizational culture so as to reflect more of the values of the organizational diverse work force (De Anca & Vega, 2016). The following are some of the skills that may be needed are: a clear understanding and acceptance concepts of diversity management, recognizing that diversity is threatened through all aspects of organizational management, creating self-awareness, in terms of understanding ones culture, identity, biases, stereotypes and prejudices and willingness poster challenges and bring about institutional practices that poses barriers to different groups when analyzing diversity (Kirton & Greene, 2015). In more precise scope of diversity, it may mean acknowledging people’s differences and putting into recognition the perceived differences more valuable.  It is thought to poster good management practices hence preventing discrimination and encouraging inclusivity. Even with all good management skills and capabilities, it would not be able to work effectively with the given organizational diverse work force (Kirton & Greene, 2015).

De Anca & Vega (2016) states Diversity management is needed because it is very sensitive in organizational management. Due to increased global market place for goods and services, organizations must understand and embrace brands diversity as well as their work force. It must respect its multifaceted marketplace, different cultures, philosophies and ideals. Innovation is one of the reasons which must drive organizations in adopting diverse workforce (Kirton & Greene, 2015). Diverse cross-cultural experience brings different people who have different ideologies together hence creating a good conducive environment for coming up new ideas. Diverse workforce with unique group think is likely to improve business in a unique way. Cultural intelligence is another reason of embracing diversity in our organizations (Wrench, 2016). When organizations workforce is diverse, it has an opportunity of not only learning but also appreciating the value other cultures have.

In conclusion, when a firm factors diversity in its operations, shared value opportunity for both profit and society is greatly maximized.  It is also a common phenomenon that, customers prefer buying from diverse companies.  These two factors are more so very important in an organization that may be what to invest in cross borders and venture in global market. This prompts business to be authentically globally diversified.  Another importance comes in from recruitment to strategy (Kirton & Greene, 2015). It is believed that, companies that embrace more authentic diversity, finds it worth to have more diverse groups in the work force. Nowadays, companies are developing diverse officer roles that touch more on than just recruiting and human resources. Companies which practice more diversity within the management staff will easily fulfil the needs of many customers (Wrench, 2016).

References

Ang, S., & Van Dyne, L. (2015). Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge.

Canas, K., & Sondak, H. (2013). Opportunities and challenges of workplace diversity. Pearson     Higher Ed.

De Anca, C., & Vega, A. V. (2016). Managing diversity in the global organization: Creating         new Business values. Springer.

DesJardins, J. R., & McCall, J. J. (2014). Contemporary issues in business ethics. Cengage            Learning.

Harvey, C. P., & Allard, M. (2015). Understanding and managing diversity. Pearson.

Kirton, G., & Greene, A. M. (2015). The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach.      Routledge.

Ozgen, C., Peters, C., Niebuhr, A., Nijkamp, P., & Poot, J. (2014). Does Cultural Diversity of      Migrant Employees Affect Innovation? International Migration Review, 48(s1), S377-        S416.

Trax, M., Brunow, S., & Suedekum, J. (2015). Cultural diversity and plant-level productivity.       Regional Science and Urban Economics, 53, 85-96.

Wrench, J. (2016). Diversity management and discrimination: Immigrants and ethnic minorities    in the EU. Routledge

Wright, B. E., Christensen, R. K., & Isett, K. R. (2013). Motivated to adapt? The role of public    service motivation as employees face organizational change. Public Administration       Review, 73(5), 738-747